Shadow of death
by sg4ever
Summary: What would have happened if Afina had revived her army? Awakening AU.


**Hello hello beautiful people who are still reading my stories. I've been away for a very long time and I didn't intend to return but I've been listening to a song on repeat and I had to get the story out of my head. If you wanna listen to the pretty song look for _Shawn James - "Through the Valley"_. Yes it's angsty! I've missed the wonderful angst.**

 **The story will probably have two chapters. I do hope at some point in the future I'll get to upload the second chapter as well.**

 **Also, special thanks to Angie for reawakening the Teslen flame in me enough so I can write XD**

 **Enjoy!**

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" _Helen."_

"Helen, wake up."

"Helen."

His words finally reached her ears and Helen opened her eyes slowly. She was sprawled on an amazingly soft bed – were those silk sheets? – and she struggled to keep her eyes open but she was tired. She was so very tired that she could easily sleep for a week. She tried to get up but her body disagreed so she laid back down.

"You shouldn't move." He spoke again and this time Helen followed the sound of his voice to find him standing on the edge of the bed.

"Nikola." She managed to say but oh the effort it takes to speak that single word left her breathless.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, worry plastered all over his face.

"What happened? Where are we?" Helen replied finally taking a moment to notice her surroundings. They were in a bedroom of some sorts. They were sitting on an enormous bed. There was a huge mirror in one corner of the room. The whole room seemed to be surrounded by an aura of old things. She would know how that feels.

"It's okay. It's all okay. " Nikola reassured her while his hands gently squeezed her.

"Nikola…" She warned him. "Answer my questions."

"I would have thought the lady enjoys some prelude before jumping straight to business." He smirked.

"Nikola!"

"Alright. Calm down. Now it's not the time to get angry." He replied raising his hands defensively.

"Start talking."

"It would be probably easier to show you." He said and got up from the bed. He grabbed something from a desk nearby and handed it to her. A small mirror decorated with intricate designs.

"What is this all about?" Helen asked studying the mirror for a moment.

"See for yourself." Nikola gestured for her to use it.

She looked into the mirror hesitantly. She couldn't see anything wrong with her face. Everything seemed alright. Eyes and lips and cheeks and brows. She exchanged a quick glance with Nikola but he gestured for her to continue her exploration so she did. However the mirror fell off her hands the moment she stared at those two identical marks on her neck.

"You bloody bastard!" She shouted furiously. "You bit me!"

A part of her can't help feeling betrayed. All those years of friendship and he fed on her while she was unconscious!

"No. Helen, listen, that was not me. I didn't bite you."

"If you didn't bite me then who- " She couldn't finish the sentence because the door opened and she was greeted by the last person she wished to see at the moment.

"Hello Helen."

"Afina."

In an instant Helen remembered. They had awoken Afina from stasis. And then she had woken up her whole army.

"I'm glad to see you are awake. I would have been disappointed to lose my personal canteen." Afina said and flashed her a grin.

"You fed on me." Helen replied with disgust in her voice.

"And you're still alive. Consider it a sign of gratitude. For waking me up." Afina said while slowly circling her.

"Whatever games you're playing-" Helen started to threaten her.

"I'm not playing any games." Afina replied. "For far too long we've been asleep. But now, it is time for vampires to restore their place as ruling species over this pathetic world. It is time to take back what is rightfully ours."

"You're going to be outnumbered. There are billions of people and only a handful of vampires."

"Helen, Helen, I do like a challenge." Afina said while gently pushing a strand of hair behind Helen's ear. "But I don't intend to kill them. I intend to rule them. And you'll be here watching as their resistance increases less and less each day until all what's left of humanity will come crawling to us."

"That's never going to happen." Helen replied.

"Ah but it will. And you will witness it thanks to your pretty little gift."

"If you like a challenge so much who don't you let us go?"

"Us?"

"Yes. Me and Nikola. Since you think so little of the human race why don't you let us prove you wrong?" Challenging the queen of the vampires was probably not a good idea but what other choices did Helen have?

"Nikola?" Afina questioned again. "The mongrel?"

"He is right there- " Helen said expecting a fully blown out of proportions sarcastic reply to Afina's insult but it didn't come. She looked around near the old mirror where he was standing just before Afina entered the room but he was not there. He wasn't anywhere in the room. Where could he have gone?

"You saw him? I am not surprised. You always did love him. Took you a while to figure it out though. " Afina said.

"What are you talking about?" Helen asked confused.

"Darling, Nikola is dead." Afina proclaimed with a proud smile on her face.

"Nonsense." Helen replied almost automatically. She didn't even want to process the affirmation.

"Oh I know he's hard to kill but there are ways."

"You're lying." Helen challenged her once more because the alternative was not something she wanted to accept.

"My warriors found him in the shaft I threw him and killed him. What was I supposed to do with a mongrel in this new age that is rapidly approaching?"

"You didn't."

"I did." Afina flashed her another grin. "His last words were about you. Not that you would care since you've spent a big part of your life dodging his feelings for you."

"I-"

"I hope you enjoy your stay because you'll be here for a long long time." She said and left.

 _***three months later***_

Over the past months she tried so hard to be strong. To be brave. But that night she broke. She was dreaming of her Sanctuary, her friends, her life before being held captive by the queen of the vampires. And when she woke up all sweaty she couldn't help the sobs leaving her chest.

"Helen." Nikola said and she felt his hand on her shoulder trying to comfort her.

She finally raised her gaze and studied him. He had the same black suit and tie he was wearing the day she met him. He even had the same stupid moustache.

"You're not real." She said between her sobs and withdrew herself from beneath his touch.

"I'm as real as you want me to be." He replied and this time he put both of his hands on her shoulders.

"You really are dead aren't you? You're dead because of me." She said hiding her face in her hands.

"That's not true." Nikola said while drawing small circles with his fingers against her arms.

"If we hadn't gone on an expedition to find God damn praxian strongholds-"

"Stop right there." He interrupted her. "I've been reckless all my life. It was only a matter of time until I stepped into something in over my head. That doesn't make it your fault."

He let one of his hands held her chin delicately while his other hand wiped the tears from her face.

"I miss you." Helen said starring in those blue eyes that were piercing her.

"I know." He replied and offered her a genuine smile. "But now it's not the time for mourning. You need to get yourself out of here."

"You think I haven't tried? Every single day for the last three months. I've never made it beyond the throne room. And while I'm trapped here Afina is plotting and scheming to take over the world."

"I am a tad jealous about that." Nikola joked hoping to lighten the mood. Helen however simply ignored him.

"Her army has already infiltrated all the great governments with almost no resistance. The very few people who got suspicious were killed. Slaughtered. Do you know what they used to defend themselves? Garlic and Holy Water."

"Ugh people. I knew this stupid propaganda will come and bite us in the ass some day." He rolled his eyes.

"Not to mention I haven't heard one single thing from Henry or Will or anyone at the Sanctuary. I don't know if they're alive, I don't know if they're aware of the threat and I most certainly don't know what's taking them so long to find us- me."

Helen took a deep breath allowing her lungs to fill with air. She was tired. And the fact that Afina kept feeding on her was not helping.

Nikola remained quiet but sat near Helen on the bed. He encircled her with his arms and she snuggled even closer putting her head over his chest. Every worry in the world disappeared when she fell asleep breathing his scent.


End file.
